Gringotts
by blindedbystars95
Summary: Bill and fleur had a short romance during Bills time at Hogwarts during the triwizard tournament. It all ended and they went their seperate ways but can they really stay away from each other when they both end up in london.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter, that would be J..

Chapter 1

A young woman was sitting at the edge of a moonlit lake, snow spiralling around her hunched figure. Her heart was breaking, threatening to crumble completely and she had no way of stopping it. She felt completely numb apart from the crippling pain in her chest.

Fleur had been sure that he'd been different, that he could see beyond her beauty and glimpse her soul. She had been sure that he knew her heart like no one had ever known her before. In the space of one short week she'd felt more alive than ever before in the whole 17 years of her life. It was over though. He'd been no different to any of the others. He'd tired of her so quickly and left as if that week had meant nothing. His excuse had been even one of the most rehearsed she had ever heard.

FLASHBACK

"Fleur, please listen. I care for you, really I do. But you know like everyone else does that it's a dangerous world and I really don't have time for a relationship. I'm sorry. Just go back to France where you'll be safe." Bill had whispered to her when she'd seen him leaving the castle accompanied by his father.

"Goodbye." Fleur hissed. How had she let that happen? She never let men into her life she'd always hidden behind a serene mask. Emotions made her weak and vulnerable so she'd hidden them, that was until Bill had come into her life and she'd let him see her heart. She'd finally been herself. Fleur realised that the pain she felt was her own fault for expecting Bill to be any different to other men. She wouldn't let him see her pain now so she forced a smile onto her face.

"I understand. It isn't as if it actually meant anything." She said in a falsely sugar sweet voice accompanied by a small giggle then turned and fled before she could see his reaction.

END OF FLASHBACK

A small hand on her shoulder pulled Fleur out of her thoughts and she turned sharply to see her younger sister Gabrielle standing behind her.

"We have to go Fleur. The tournament is over and mum wants us both away from here as soon as possible." Fleur felt herself nod and get up to follow Gabrielle as if it were another being controlling her body. Together the two girls made their way up the steep grassy verge and towards the powder blue carriage that was waiting to return them to Beauxbatons. Fleur's mother was standing beside the door a stressed look on her face waiting impatiently for her daughters to arrive.

"For goodness sake Fleur, what took you so long we have appearances to keep up don't you understand that?"

Fleur stared at her mother sudden anger flaring inside her and she remembered once again how it felt to be herself and not to spend her time trying to please others. All of a sudden she resented her mother for controlling her life, she resented that her mother only cared what other people thought and she resented that she was a puppet in her mother's plans.

"I'm not coming with you." She said in a steady voice which was very unlike her own. Her mother's eyes widened and her face drained of colour.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me mother. I'm not coming with you. I've been offered a job at gringotts in the foreign liaison office. I'll find my own place; I can't live with you anymore. I'm an adult and I can make my own choices." Fleur stood her ground as her mother spluttered and struggled to find the words that would make her come home. It was another five quiet minutes, during which the atmosphere seemed heavy with unspoken grievances between the two women, before her mother finally spoke.

"Go." She spat. The one word and the fury with which it was delivered was enough to assure Fleur that she had made the right choice.

"Tell papa I'll write to him when everything is settled." Fleur whispered and turned in her heel before making her way towards the wrought iron gates which marked the edge of the anti-apparition spell. For a second she stood rocking on her heels wondering whether she had in fact made the biggest mistake of her life but if Fleur was anything she was stubborn and she would finish what she'd started. With a loud crack and the sensation of passing through time and space, which could never be described as anything but unpleasant, she apparated straight into the bar of the leaky cauldron.

"May I have a room for the night? Please." She asked the ancient bartender. He handed her a key and she made her way up the stairs. Once in the small room she had been assigned she collapsed onto the bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

A/N. This is my first fanfic so I really would appreciate it if anybody could just review and let me know how I did and how I could improve. Thanks for reading


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning Fleur lay awake in bed several minutes before opening her eyes. She allowed her mind to concentrate on the events of the past evening and for the first time she began to doubt herself. Having abandoned the safety and security of her childhood home in France she had plunged into the unknown and accepted a job at Gringotts. She hadn't really thought about all that would be expected of her when she had seen the job advertised in the newspaper, she'd simply thought it would be another challenge. Fleur felt the need to prove herself a lot of the time, this was one of the reasons that she had entered her name in the goblet of fire. She wanted to show herself and everyone around her that she wasn't just about her looks.

Unfortunately when she thought about why she had accepted the job this wasn't the reason that immediately came to the front of her mind. What she always thought of had long red hair and a smile a mile wide. Bill Weasley was the reason she had left her old life behind and ventured into the unknown. Fleur shook her head in a desperate attempt to remove his face from the forefront of her mind, things between the two of them were over and she'd just have to accept that.

"Anyway," she whispered to the empty room, "He's in Egypt. It's not as if you'd have seen him again."

Fleur instead dwelled on the meeting that she would have to attend that morning. She had told Gringotts that she accepted the job and they had asked her to come in for a short meeting in which her work would be discussed. Butterflies had invaded her stomach and she felt as though she might throw up any second. What would she do if they didn't want her for the job? What if her English wasn't good enough? She feared that she might have to return to her parents if she was unable to support herself and for that she would need a job. Sure her father would certainly send her all the money she needed if she asked for it but wasn't the point of her coming to London to be independent.

To take her mind off her worries, Fleur headed straight for the shower where she spent twenty minutes. The sensation of the steaming water running over her back loosened her muscles and allowed her to relax. After all being stressed wouldn't help her. She tapped her hair with her wand and it was immediately dry then with a second tap it was wavy. Out of her small bag, that contained her only possessions until her Father brought her suitcase that she had left at Hogwarts, she pulled a smart navy blue dress and heels. If the worst came to the worst and she had to beg for a job she'd at least do so in style. Her boss was a man, if she correctly recalled, so surely looking good wouldn't do any harm.

Fleur descended the gloomy staircase and found herself in a loud smoky bar, that she hadn't been able to truly appreciate last night. She sat at a small table in the corner and ate what had been called a traditional English breakfast but which she found contained far too much meat. After all what did the English overcook all their meat for, it was disrespectful. Fleur chewed her way through one slice of bacon before giving up. She gave her plate one last glance hoping that it would turn into a warm bread roll and some Jam, but nothing of the sort happened so she left the Pub.

What she found when she passed through the crumbling brick arch behind the Leaky Cauldron took her breath away. "A History of Magical Europe" had been right when they called this area of London "the most impressive example of a wizarding historic settlement". The street seemed to stretch as far as Fleur could see over the heads of the busy shoppers, the houses leant inwards as if they might fall at any second and crush everyone. The shops that lined the sides of the alley sold everything from dress-robes to dung bombs. On her left was a shop window that was filled with cages of dancing rats, toads, owls and slumbering cats whilst the window to her right was advertising the newest crystal ball which was supposed to give a ninety percent clearer and more accurate picture.

The most imposing building by far though was Gringotts; it towered above the rest of the street. Its smooth walls were painted a striking white which contrasted with the dark stone and wood, Tudor era houses which made up the rest of Diagon alley. Fleur took a deep breath and made her way towards the stone steps that led to the large silver doors. When she had reached the door she saw a simple brass plaque beside it that held a warning.

"Enter, stranger but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take but do not earn

Must pay most dearly in their turn"

Fleur shivered slightly because she could imagine all to well that the goblins had taken it upon them to protect their treasures in every way possible. On the other hand the warning also made her snigger, who would be stupid enough to try to breach the security measures in place at the biggest wizarding bank in the world?

The goblin behind the desk that she had approached was now leading her through what appeared to be a maze of corridors that delved deep underground. Fleur felt extremely disorientated and worried that she wouldn't be able to find her way around when she began working here. At long last the goblin took a sharp turn left and they entered an office full of people chattering and sorting through pieces of ancient parchment. When they passed people turned and watched them with eager eyes. Fleur hoped that this was due to her being new because she didn't want to deal with any unwanted attention at the moment. She almost turned around and fled when the goblin stopped at a door labelled , but her common sense won over. After all she would only get lost if she tried to leave now. When the door was opened the door opened to reveal a woman with wiry grey hair sitting behind a mahogany desk covered in pieces of parchment. She appeared to be in her late fifties and looked extremely stressed.

"Oh, sorry." Babbled Fleur, "Is this a bad time?"

The woman looked up and smiled a maternal smile that immediately set Fleur at ease.

"No no don't worry. I'm Harriet. Lovely to finally meet you." She held her hand out to Fleur and they commenced their meeting by discussing hours and holidays. After that the interview went relatively smoothly and Fleur finally began to feel confident.

When they left the office Mrs Davies was still chattering and pointing out different people, the canteen and the bathroom. All of a sudden Fleur stopped dead. In the corner leaning over a very long scroll, so that his face was hidden to anyone walking past, was a person with long red hair.

"Is there a problem dear?" Mrs Davies seemed genuinely concerned for Fleur's sanity. Fleur looked up all of a sudden looking like she had been pulled out of a trance. After having convinced her overly worried employer that she would not need a trip to St Mungos, the two women made their way back to the reception of the bank.

Fleur was angry with herself. Was she going to let her heart flutter every time she saw a person with red hair? After all there must be lots of people who worked at the world's largest bank who had red hair, and Bill was hundreds of miles away in North Africa. She didn't understand why she was so excited at the prospect of seeing him again; they hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms.

Thank you to Weasleygirl1993 for my first ever review, I was over the moon when I saw I had a review. Thanks to everyone who has read this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: If you recognize anything then I probably don't own it.

Chapter 3

It was in a jubilant mood that Fleur made her way back to the Leaky cauldron. She stopped to buy an ice cream at Fortescue's where she gave the amicable man behind the counter one of her rare one hundred watt smiles in return for a cookie crisp ice-cream.

"Cookie crisp is my absolute favourite." A young woman sitting at the counter said looking up when Fleur asked for her ice cream. The woman removed her bag from the tall wooden bar stool next to her.

"Want to join me for a little while." Usually Fleur would have sneered and moved on, but today she was in such a good mood that she couldn't say no. Anyway, she thought to herself, it's not as if she'd have had anything better to do. The sun was glaring down on Diagon alley and all of a sudden the wooden stools, set out around tall tables beneath the awning, seemed very appealing. Fleur sat down cautiously on the edge of the stool the woman had indicated. She glanced over at the occupant of the stool beside her. She had long dark hair that curled casually to the middle of her back and was held back by a large pair of dark sunglasses. She gave Fleur a shy smile.

"Sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Isabelle but everyone calls me Izzie, well except my parents who think Isabelle is more fitting for a young lass and my sort of boyfriend who calls me Belle. Though actually I don't really mind Belle." This was all said in a fairly strong Scottish accent and one impossibly long breath.

"Merlin, breath. I'm Fleur and that would be what everyone has ever called me and will ever call me." Fleur felt as if she was immediately at ease, the young woman reminded her of Gabrielle, who never stopped talking either. Izzie smiled sheepishly and apologised yet again. The two sat in silence again for a grand total of one minute before Izzie once again broke the silence.

"I saw you at Gringotts today. Do you work there? I don't mean to be nosy, I'm just curious. I've never seen you around before."

Fleur frowned into her cup, being new was never easy. Perhaps if she had a friend then it might be easier to fit in.

"Yeah I start tomorrow in the foreign liaison office. You work there too?"

Isabelle nodded her head vigorously. "I'm in the same office, its going to be great. I promise you'll love it. Everyone is really nice, well apart from Mandy but you put up with her."

They talked for several minutes about Gringotts; well really Izzie filled Fleur in on all the gossip and all Fleur had to do was nod at the correct intervals and occasionally ask a few questions. She found out about all her future colleagues; exactly which ones she really wanted to talk to and who it was best to avoid on a Monday morning. One thing that Izzie seemed pretty keen on reminding her constantly was that this Mandy was evil and probably wouldn't be too happy to see Fleur.

"Why not? I don't understand." Asked Fleur confused. She certainly had never met this woman before and she seemed so sure that this Mandy would hate her already.

"Well you're certainly prettier than her which she won't like. She seems to think she rules the office and she won't want you to come along and challenge her." Fleur sighed heavily; it seemed that being part veela was a curse more often than it was a blessing.

"There is only one thing you could do to make her really hate you though." Izzie chuckled with a mischievous glint in her large brown eyes. Fleur glanced at her slightly unnerved and waited for her companion to elaborate. For once though, Izzie did not seem to feel the need to divulge any more than she already had.

"Tell me, I wouldn't want to do anything seriously wrong." Fleur begged. When begging didn't have the desired impact and Izzie carried on sniggering, she turned to threats. "If you don't answer me right now I'm going to eat it myself!" Fleur said holding Izzie's ice cream above her head. Immediately Izzie stopped sniggering and stared at Fleur with calculating eyes, her face immediately drained of colour.

"You wouldn't." She hissed.

"You're right, I've already eaten enough ice cream, I wouldn't be able to eat anymore. I'd probably explode." Fleur replied smiling sweetly. Izzie gave a sigh of relief and allowed a victorious smile to grace her once petrified features.

"I'll just throw it on the floor for the rats to eat." Fleur said slowly tipping the bowl. Izzie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened till they were the size of saucers. She lunged at her ice cream but Fleur just stood up and it became immediately obvious that she was a good head taller than Izzie. Izzie seemed to deflate as if accepting defeat, when all of a sudden she grinned and cackled uncontrollably.

"Excuse me, you're ice cream is dripping onto my Daily Prophet." An irritated male voice came from behind Fleur. Her hand immediately flew to her mouth and a crimson blush crept onto her cheeks. She turned to apologise but before she was able to form a single word her heart dropped. Facing her with a look of equal shock on his face was the red headed man from the office that morning and this time his face was not hidden from her view.

"You!" He burst out accusingly, "did you not listen to a word I told you? What are you doing here?" Fleur's temper flared and everything around her seemed to be tinged with a red haze. How dare he come here and disturb her life when he should have been at the other side of the globe.

"I could ask you the same thing." She spat at him. Her was voice filled with all the suppressed anger she had had ever felt when thinking about Bill Weasley. Izzie was looking between the two looking more confused by the second.

"You know each other?" She asked hesitantly, hoping that neither of them would turn their obvious anger towards her. Remembering that she was in a public place and that she really didn't want to create a scene, Fleur turned and smiled sweetly at her new friend.

"I wish I didn't. In fact I wish I'd never met him." Fleur said in a voice oozing with forced calm. Bill's face fell and the hurt he felt at her comment was evident on his face for a fraction of a second before he was able to cover it with an angry sneer. "I'm getting away from here." Fleur strode confidently towards the main bustle of Diagon Alley but turned to address Izzie. "Want to come; I could do with a companion who knows London."

The poor girl scrambled to collect her bag and vanished the ice creams with a regretful glance. She threw Bill one last quizzical glance before chasing after Fleur's retreating figure. She had to run to catch up with Fleur who was pushing through the crowds of mid-day shoppers with a strong determination. When she finally caught up, Izzie was gasping for breath. She was even more shocked though when she saw Fleur wipe a lone tear from her cheek.

"What happened back there?" Izzie asked Fleur, extremely concerned for the young woman's mental well being. Fleur smiled tensely.

"Would you do me a really big favour and forget that ever happened? Well for now at least, I'd rather not talk about it." Izzie nodded and Fleur visibly relaxed. "In which case do you have any plans for this afternoon?"

"Nope I was going to go bother my younger brother but I'm sure he'd be more than happy if I didn't. Have you got anything particular you wanted to do?" Izzie replied.

"Well yes," said Fleur "I really need to find a place to stay now that I've accepted that job."

Izzie considered Fleur's words and eventually nodded. "Ok. I think I know a few nice areas where we could start our search. I'll lead the way." The two women made their way back into muggle London chattering about anything and everything apart from the confrontation at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Fleur told Izzie all about her life in France and her sister Gabrielle. In return Izzie told her all about her younger brother Oliver who played quidditch and their family home in Scotland.

They didn't find any flats or houses that Fleur, who Izzie soon found out had extremely high expectations, actually liked. They parted ways at the Leaky Cauldron; Fleur would be staying there again and Izzie was returning to Scotland via the Floo Network. Fleur collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep almost immediately. She had completely forgotten about the man she had seen at the ice cream parlour.

A/N. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. The next chapter will see Fleur start work and hopefully find a house of her own. Please review this chapter if you'd like to. I would really appreciate knowing what people thought of it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just thought I'd state the obvious.

Chapter 4

The sunlight that filtered down through the trees cast dancing diamonds on the grass where Fleur was sitting cross legged. The sound of the birds singing harmoniously in the branches above her head was interrupted by the sound of someone singing horribly off key. The deep voice was unmistakable and Fleur made her way through the fronds of a willow till she reached a small clearing surrounded by azaleas in beautiful red and pink hues. Fleur contemplated the scene with a small smile on her face. He was standing in the center of the clearing humming the melody to the sweetest song she had ever heard, the light dancing off his red hair. Bill turned slowly, as if sensing her presence and his face lit up.

"Ca fais des années que je t'attends! (I've been waiting for you for years.)" He whispered in the most enchanting voice Fleur had ever heard. She had never heard him speak French before yet his pronunciation was elegant and it seemed very natural to the two of them. Simultaneously they both took a step nearer to each other, never tearing their eyes away from one another. Fleur drank in the beauty of his face and his sculpted chest that was visible as his shirt was only buttoned half way. She longed to reach out and touch him but he was the first to move. His large callused hand reached up and cradled her cheek in the gentlest manner. He stroked her high cheekbones with the very tips of his fingers, a look of awe respect and love filling his ocean blue eyes. Very slowly, giving her plenty of time to turn and walk away had she not been caught in his spell, he leaned his head down till his eyes were level hers.

"Je t'adore Fleur de mon Coeur. (I love you, flower of my heart.)" And then his soft lips very gently kissed the tip of her nose. Fleur felt herself shiver and melt into his chest and his strong arms reached out and encircled her. His kisses left a trail down the side of her face, each time coming closer to her rosy lips. Their kiss was passionate and Fleur no longer remembered where she was, the only thing that mattered was Bill and the way his mouth moved with hers. They fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, finally reunited. She felt that she could stay here and kiss him forever. It was like Fleur had found the home she never really realized she was seeking, the world seemed safe and perfect when Bill's embrace shielded her. Everything around them had stopped; the rustling tree held its breath and the birds were mute. When they broke apart to breath he whispered her name so quietly it could have been the wind that formed the sound.

"Fleur."

A huge crash brought Fleur out of her dream and into reality with a harsh brutality. She groaned and turned her head into the soft pillow willing herself to fall asleep again. She ran her fingers over her lips which still seemed to tingle with the passion of his kisses. After several minutes though, she gave up and went in search of the source of the noise that woke her. A small brown owl sat on the windowsill; it swayed unsteadily, probably as a result of the collision with the solid glass window. As Fleur opened the catch on the window to allow the poor bird to enter, the whispered echo of Bill's last word followed her incessantly. Every rustle of the parchment on the table, every breath of wind and every footstep seemed to be chorusing her name in his deep, sensual voice. The letter she took from owl was addressed to her in a very formal slanting script. Fleur was immediately curious, who would be writing her a letter this early in the morning, after all the sun was only just beginning to rise over the rooftops of the muggle street below her window. Carefully, she broke the simple seal on the letter and pulled it out of the envelope.

_Dear Miss Delacour,_

_You are requested to meet with a Gringotts goblin at 12.00 today to discuss the matter of your finances. It is vital that you attend this meeting. _

_Griphook, Chief of Gringotts Bank, UK,Ireland, Europe, North Africa, West Asia and The Americas._

Fleur looked at the letter affronted, who did they think they were ordering her to attend their meeting? They hadn't even had the decency to ask whether the time suited her or whether she even wanted to meet them. Unfortunately for Fleur her curiosity got the best of her and she was forced to admit that she was actually going to attend the meeting. Her original plan had been to ignore the letter and drop by and see this Griphook at a time that best suited her. This would not, she decided, give the best impression, considering that she was starting her first day today. She also remembered her father warning her that trying to argue with a goblin really wasn't a good idea.

Her first few hours at work had passed rather uneventfully. Izzie had been very happy to see her and had suggested they go house hunting the next weekend. She had met two other people who worked in her office. Joe was in his late thirties and had covered his desk with photos of his wife and twin daughters. He had seemed friendly when Izzie introduced him but Fleur had not had much time to assess his character because she had turned away as soon as her own greeting was out of her mouth. She was wary when it came to meeting new people so she preferred to maintain her composure even if it meant she appeared cold. She immediately regretted doing so when the woman sitting beside him gave her a look that suggested she certainly didn't approve of Fleur's actions, but there was nothing to do about it.

"And who are you?" Fleur asked in a heavily accented voice. The woman introduced herself simply as Clara and said she hoped Fleur would enjoy working at Gringotts. Her entire introduction, though friendly in itself was accompanied by several glares. Fleur turned away, not wanting to waste her time speaking to someone who had so obviously already made her mind up about Fleur's character. Sensing the obvious tension in the small office Izzie lead Fleur over to her desk and smiled apologetically at her colleagues. She knew that this wasn't the Fleur she had met yesterday and hoped she hadn't made a mistake by becoming her friend.

Most importantly, Fleur had managed not to dwell on her dream or on Bill. Fleur was not particularly absorbed by her work, which was to read through several account statements and check that they were adding up at the end of each month. She didn't understand why she had been asked to do this kind of work. It was the sort of work she expected a house elf to be doing or at the very least a secretary. This had nothing to do with foreign liaisons and she certainly was not using her French, which was annoying her no end. Fleur knew that she was being paid enough to live independently therefore should be grateful. She was starting to wonder whether she should simply have stayed and worked in for the national wizarding newspaper in France, after all that was what her father had wanted and what everyone expected of her. At half past eleven she began on another set of calculations when she remembered that she was to attend a meeting with a goblin in a half hour, so she rolled up the scroll.

"Where do you think you're going?" said a horribly high pitched voice from behind Fleur. She turned round and found herself face to face with a girl who must have been several years older than she was. Her hair was obviously bleached blonde and she wore a dress so short and low cut that Fleur began to wonder if she was even wearing one at all.

"And why would that concern you?" Fleur replied in her haughtiest voice, raising a delicate eyebrow. She stood just under a head taller than the girl in front of her, who looked at her with shock written across her face.

"Well you must be new; you obviously don't know the rules of this office. I'm Mandy and I suppose you could say that my word goes." She finished her speech with a fluff of her hair and a bright red fingernail placed threateningly on Fleur's chest. The occupants of the office had stopped working and had looked up to see what the new girl's response would be. Fleur looked down at Mandy with evident disgust.

"I don't think that's going to be the case, I shan't answer to you and your falsely claimed airs. Now if you'd please remove your talon, I have places to be." With one last withering look Fleur swept from the office. The shocked silence she left in her wake didn't last very long when it was interrupted by muffled sniggers coming from the corner in which Izzie and Clara were sitting.

"Wow," Breathed Joe seeming to take several seconds to clear his head. "That sure did brighten up my day."

"What do you… think… you're laughing… at?" Mandy's face was beetroot red and she was struggling to string together a coherent sentence.

Outside Fleur was fuming. She strode angrily down the corridor. No one spoke to Fleur Delacour in that manner. Everywhere she went she commandeered respect, yes a lot of women were jealous of her but no one ever confronted her like that. She was so angry that she was not looking where she was going so it was of little surprise that she suddenly found herself wandering down a corridor that she had never seen before. Gringotts was filled with a labyrinth of corridors that twisted and turned in every direction. Looking around she saw that the corridor was no longer lit by glowing orbs, that floated by the ceiling, instead the walls were lined with flickering torches. Fleur sighed heavily and turned around, heading back the way she had come, she would need to be careful when walking these corridors and have more control over her emotions. Her heart began to pound though when she reached a crossing, five corridors converged and she had no idea which she had come from. Her palms were sweaty as she glanced down each of the corridors, desperately trying to find some indication that she had passed down one of the corridors. There were none. Fleur began muttering in French, cursing her own stupidity. She would be stuck down here for ever. She doubted that many people came this far underground so her chances of being found were very slim. A stray tear wound its way down here cheek. She brushed it away angrily and tried pointlessly to think of the best solution to her problem.

Fleur suddenly raised her head, she was sure she had just heard a very faint sound coming from the corridor on her left. When she stood still she recognized the sound of heavy footfall. Not caring, what or who might be the source of the noise, she ran blindly towards the sound of footsteps. She was desperate to find someone or anyone who could help her. She didn't even care if it was one of the bad tempered goblins or even Mandy. She would have been overjoyed to see anyone, any sign of life in the cold and winding, stone corridors. The tears streaming down her face had obscured her vision and with a sickening crunching sound she collided with something solid. The something solid gasped as though winded but put an arm around Fleur to steady her.

"Goodness, what's going on," said a concerned voice. Fleur heart stopped beating and her face drained of any colour.

A/N. YIPPEE, I made it to 2000 words for one chapter. Please, please review. I try and reply to all my reviews.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Did you seriously think I owned Harry Potter? Wow that has really made my day.

**Chapter 5 **

"What are you doing down here? Are you lost already?"The voice said in a teasing, carefree and slightly confused tone. Fleur leant into the warmth of the man's arms and tried to still her head which seemed to be spinning at one hundred miles per hour. Her thoughts were confused and the pain in the left hand side of her head made even the simplest of thought processes impossible. Fleur's cheek was resting on a strong, wide chest and someone was stroking her hair, with the gentlest of touches, whilst she made no move to escape.

"Wow, what happened to you?" The voice asked, slightly more concerned now that he realised that she was still looking at the wall opposite as though she had been hit by a confundus charm. Suddenly Fleur seemed to come back to her senses and abruptly pulled out of the man's embrace, she stumbled slightly and her head throbbed but she was able to use the rough stone wall for support. When she had regained her balance and composure she straightened up to her full height and stared Bill Weasley defiantly in the face. Only the faintest of blushes gave her cheeks a pinkish glow.

"I most certainly am not lost." She answered sharply before glaring at him, as if to dare him to contradict her. Bill nodded but a smile was tugging on the corners of his mouth and his eyes sparkled with humour. Fleur began to walk along the corridor that Bill had been coming from. She held her head high and marched away without sparing a glance at Bill.

"Where are you going, I was under the impression that the way to the archives library." Bill shouted after her. Fleur took a deep breath and considered her next move.

"Well I need to get to reception I have a very important meeting and I'm already late." She answered trying to keep enough dignity in her voice. She certainly wouldn't beg him to tell her the right way because she didn't want his pity.

"I see, well would you like me to show you the way, you obviously are lost!" He answered his voice shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Don't you dare laugh at me you... you...I hate you." She retorted anger and frustration colouring her words, making her accent even more pronounced. Now her face was bright red out of anger but also due to her extreme embarrassment. "I'd rather wait here and wait for someone else to turn up than let you show me the way." She sat down gracefully on the floor and folded her arms over her chest.

Bill stared at her calculatedly before shrugging and sitting down against the wall opposite her. Fleur's eyes opened in shock.

"Well, you see," he explained patiently, "If I were to leave now I'd be giving away the route back since we're both going to the same place. Obviously you've made it clear that you don't want me to show you the way I'll just have to wait here too." By the time he had finished explaining, Fleur had balled her fists and was looking at him murderously. She gave out a scream of frustration when he continued to sit there watching the many hands of his watch tick by slowly. He didn't look up when she screamed or even when she began to punch the wall.

"You'll break a nail you know," he said passively, his eyes glued to his battered silver watch. Fleur's hand was indeed beginning to feel extremely sore and red blotches covered the knuckles. She sighed when she realised that she really had no choice, especially if she wanted to get to that meeting. She was already sure that the goblins would be cross with her, they weren't the most patient of creatures. Dealing with an angry goblin really wasn't something Fleur wanted to add to her list of bad things that had happened in one day and the longer she waited here the worse things would get.

"Fine, show me the way." Fleur broke the silence, her voice very stiff. Bill looked up and smiled at her.

"How about a please?" He asked in a patronising voice. When he saw her face though he decided not to push the matter too far, after all he did want to leave work alive. In silence the two walked at a brisk pace along the long winding corridors. Fleur kept sending Bill sly glances and was infuriated to see that he was grinning. He was mocking her misfortune after having teased her and made her angry. Had he not understood that she was cross with him when they had met at Fortescue's? When he caught her watching him, his smiled vanished and was replaced by a sad look. Fleur felt disconcerted by his rapid change in emotions. She didn't have much time to dwell on them because they had stopped in front of a heavy wooden door with a brass knocker, in the shape of a clawed paw.

"Well here you are." He whispered in a quiet voice that instantly reminded Fleur of her dream. She felt her cheeks heating up at how close they were standing. Bill's eyes burned into hers and it was as if she could see straight into his soul, but she turned away, her anger still not allowing her to calm down completely.

"Please," his voice was quiet and he sounded as though he were in a lot of pain, "don't hate me. You don't understand I did this for you,"

A rather loud and forced cough made both of them spin around and jump apart as though they had been burned. A very cross looking goblin stood in the doorway. Bill pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to compose himself, then looked down at the goblin.

"Ah Griphook, terribly sorry I was just showing Miss Delacour here the way to your office." Fleur felt as though someone had stabbed her in the heart with an icicle in the heart. Never had Bill called her anything other than Fleur and the way that he said her name was cold and emotionless. It was almost as if everything that he had just said had been forgotten.  
"You're late Miss Delacour, I expected you here an hour ago." The goblins reply was short and he had completely ignored Bill who was now staring in the opposite direction to Fleur who was trying to catch his eye. Fleur mumbled incoherently unable to think of a valid excuse that would lessen the goblins obvious anger, yet avoid her having to admit she was lost. There were two reasons she didn't want to admit this; one being that goblins had an amazing sense of direction when underground and she didn't want to be viewed with contempt and the other was that Bill was still standing beside her.

"It's my fault." Interrupted Bill abruptly. Griphook raised his eyes and finally acknowledged that he was there.

"Yeah, I wanted to show her some archives and it took me longer than planned to find them. She's new so I decided she should know a bit about the goblin heritage here at Gringotts." Griphook couldn't help but puff up his chest and smile imperially at this remark. He nodded at Bill as though he were a child at school who had just answered a question correctly.

"Well yes I do suppose we could make an exception, and that meeting you requested, how about we meet tomorrow at two o'clock." Fleur was surprised, she had never known a goblin to "make an exception" before. She wasn't going to complain though. Silently she followed the retreating goblin into the large office.

"Close the door," ordered Griphook. As Fleur shut the door behind her she caught a glimpse of Bill still stood outside. He was standing still as a statue, staring at the ceiling. She wondered exactly what he had meant when he had said that she didn't understand. What exactly did he think she didn't understand? If he meant himself and his motives he was very much mistaken, she understood him perfectly. In fact she had met several people just like him throughout her life. On the other hand if he meant the labyrinth of corridors in Gringotts, well that was a different story.

"Now Miss Delacour, there are several matters I would like to discuss with you today, but since you have already wasted an hour of my time I will have to be quick." Griphook's tone clearly let Fleur know that she was in no way forgiven for wasting his precious time. Fleur simply rolled her eyes and took the seat he had motioned. Griphook sat across from her on a very tall stool, which allowed him to see over his imposing mahogany desk. On his large nose were perched a pair of small, round, gold glasses, which reminded Fleur of her arithmancy professor back in France, she had never liked him very much.

"Firstly, do you plan on staying in England for longer than a year?" Fleur nodded, a year didn't seem like such a long time to her. It was certainly long enough for her to gain her independence so that when or if she returned to France she wouldn't have to live on the family estate. She hadn't completely ruled out returning to the comfort and reassuring nature of France yet but one year would be her challenge and give her long enough to make up her mind about what to do next.

"So you will want to open a Gringotts account, where we can directly place your wages you earn here. We do after all run the world's most secure bank." Fleur nodded uncertainly, it didn't seem as if the goblin was giving her much of a choice in the matter. His commanding voice and suspicious, calculating eyes scared her and made her feel extremely uncomfortable in his presence. The rest of the meeting continued very much in the same manner, with Fleur nodding meekly whenever he barked a question about her. The questions focused on everything to do with her finances; ranging from the level of security she wanted to whether she would be storing any family artefacts in the vault. To the latter question, Fleur merely shrugged.

"So your account will be open as of tomorrow morning. The balance at the moment stands at two thousand galleons and your first wage will be submitted on the first of the next month." Fleur shook her head, unsure whether she had heard correctly.

"Two thousand galleons?" She spluttered when she finally accepted that he had informed her that her account balance was rather higher than she expected.

"Yes." The goblin nodded patronizingly. "Your previous account of five hundred galleons has been transferred from France and your father has sent you one thousand five hundred. I do believe he said he would be expecting an owl from you soon." Fleur stayed glued to her seat for several minutes, she hadn't expected that. As much as she loved her father for it she wished he had enough faith in her to succeed on her own without his help. She sighed knowing that she would have to write home soon, preferably that evening. She would have preferred to speak to her father face to face so that she could apologise for leaving so abruptly, perhaps she would pay him a visit that weekend but it all depended on her finding a house. There was no way that she could continue living in the Leaky Cauldron for much longer.

"You may leave." The goblins irritated voice broke her thoughts and she started when she realised she was still sat in Griphook's office. Fleur thanked Griphook and made her way out into the reception hall.

"FLEUR!" A high pitched yell echoed through the cavernous hall and was soon followed by a mass of brown curls. "You were brilliant; I've never seen Mandy so angry. Come on we're all going out to have a drink to celebrate." Fleur looked over Izzie's shoulder and saw Clara and Joe standing uncertainly behind her. Joe gave her a huge grin but Mandy's smile barely reached her eyes. Ignoring Clara's uncertain greeting, knowing that she deserved it, Fleur grinned back. Ah well, house hunting could wait till another day. The four colleagues walked down the steps of the grand building enthusiastically dissecting every facial expression Mandy had made during the confrontation.

A/N: Thanks to weasleygirl1993 and janite27 who have reviewed nearly every chapter so far. I'd really love some more reviews though, please.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the fabulous world of Harry Potter.

Chapter 6 

The club Izzie had chosen was already packed with witches and wizards when Fleur made her way through the crowds to the table where she could see Izzie, Clara and Joe with a woman Fleur recognized as his wife. Although Izzie had begged for them to stay longer at the Leaky cauldron, where they had sat and talked for an hour or so, they all agreed that they didn't want to stay out late on a Monday evening. A slightly disgruntled Izzie had therefore insisted that they go to a club in Diagon Alley on Friday night, no one had dared disagree.

Fleur knew that she was over half an hour late but it didn't bother her, she would make more of an entrance that way. She felt several heads turn when she passed the bar, never once wobbling in her sky high strappy heels. The dress she wore was cream and fell to just above her knees and hugged her soft curves perfectly. She saw Izzie wave her over and smiled but indicated that she was first going to collect a drink. The bartender gave her the goofiest of smiles but Fleur simply rolled her eyes and asked once again for a sparkling water. She wondered whether he would ever get her a drink or whether he was just going to stare at her for the rest of the evening.

Fleur sat down with her colleagues several minutes later. The entire table fell about laughing when she told them that the girl who was also serving drinks had had to slap the bartender and threaten to fire him before she could get her sparkling water. Fleur wasn't particularly amused and looked rather affronted at their reactions.

"That most certainly was not funny." She said rather stiffly. Immediately her four companions stopped laughing but the sight of her very serious expression was enough to set them off once again. Fleur shook her head at the sight of them acting like six year olds and felt slightly embarrassed to be sat at the same table as a pack of hyenas. She was even more worried for their sanity when she realized that none of them had had very much to drink yet. She crossed her legs in a sophisticated manner and sipped her glass of water. People watching was one of her favorite past times, that is when not everyone was staring at her and trying to make eye contact. Fleur quickly averted her gaze from a group of young men in the corner who hadn't stopped watching her since she had come in; some people really had no manners. The couples who were holding hands over the table and grinning at one another made Fleur smile. There was a couple who were dancing even though no on else had yet joined them on the dance floor but they were too absorbed in each others company to notice. Fleur knew that one day she wanted to be so in love with someone that nothing else mattered when she was with them.

An hour later the conversation at the table had turned to quidditch players. Izzie was rather shocked when Clara had said that she thought Izzie's brother had the best body she'd ever seen. This resulted in an argument between Clara and Izzie, which had been going on for over ten minutes, Joe was looking as though he'd rather be somewhere else and Fleur was finding it impossible to keep up with the conversation. She had often discussed boys with her room mates at Beauxbatons but she knew absolutely nothing about British quidditch players.

"We're going home now," Joe interrupted rather loudly trying to be heard over the loud music, "we don't want to leave the girls with the babysitter too long. Sorry to leave you with these two." Izzie and Clara had already forgotten about there disagreement and were currently exhausting another topic.

"No problem, have a great evening. It was nice to meet you." Fleur replied slightly sadly. She wished that she had a home to go to where her children would be waiting for her and a husband who loved her.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Asked Joe's wife in a motherly tone. Fleur smiled brightly, or perhaps a little too brightly, and reassured them that she would be perfectly fine. Truthfully she felt a little lost and excluded in this country where she didn't know the customs and still hadn't fully grasped the language.

Bill couldn't believe that he had let Tonks talk him into going out with her and some of her colleagues. He didn't know anyone apart from Tonks and she had heavily hinted that one of her friends fancied him. He really didn't want to get himself into a relationship with anyone at the moment, being a member of the order meant that he was constantly taking risks he didn't want anyone else to be burdened with.

The lighting in the club Tonks had led them into was dim and eerie due to the fact it was lit by floating, purple orbs. The music, combined with the sound of hundreds of conversation, meant that the he had to shout to be heard.

"I'm not staying long. I have better things to do." He yelled at Tonks, who smirked at him and raised her eyebrows.

"You have better things to do?" She said skeptically "Such as playing solitaire or talking to your imaginary cat. Don't make up silly excuses." Bill sighed and stepped aside to avoid Tonks' friend who kept trying to walk closer to him. She had straight, dark brown hair and a friendly, round face. Bill was sure he would have found her pretty, had he not been comparing it to a certain witch's silvery blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He shook his head; he had to stop thinking about Fleur. He knew that he would never put her in danger by telling her all about the Order of the Phoenix but he wasn't prepared to keep secrets, so he was left with only one option; forget her and stay as far away as possible. She had made it perfectly clear that she hated him now, which should have made it easier but it wasn't working. Every time she glared at him, her blue eyes cold and full of distaste, he felt as though she had stabbed him.

He ignored the seat that Tonks' friend had offered him and instead sat next to a young man who must have been about twenty and also looked as though he would rather not be at the club. Tonks' friend, who he found out was called Sophie, looked slightly disappointed but was soon asked to dance by a nervous looking man.

The conversation mainly revolved around Auror work and Bill found that he only had to nod every so often. This left him free to watch the various goings on in the club. There were two men who looked as though they were fighting over a drink, a few groups of people dancing and over in the corner a group of girls were giggling and pointing people out and giggling some more. He never understood why girls felt the need to giggle so much, it annoyed him and made him feel uncomfortable. He quickly looked away when one of the girls pointed in his direction. Unfortunately what he saw when he looked in the opposite direction made his heart stop. Sitting by herself looking miserable was Fleur. She looked beautiful. Her hair was scooped up onto the top of her head, a few blonde curls framed her face and her soft cheek was resting in her hand. He felt a sudden urge to go and talk to her because he saw beyond her composed mask and recognized that she was miserable and lonely. He placed his glass on the table and was about to get up when he saw a group of men stop at her table. He felt a surge of jealousy as they sat down in the empty seats at her table. Jealousy was quickly replaced with concern when Fleur's small smile vanished and she glared at them. She was obviously no happier about their presence than he was. One of the men reached out and placed his stubby, fat hand on her arm and Bill saw her visibly flinch and recoil. She looked scared and uncertain and made to move away but found hr way blocked by the man's arm. Bill was seething.

Fleur looked towards the door panicked. She felt in the pocket of her dress for her wand but realized that the large man sat beside her was lazily spinning it between his chubby fingers. She felt her heart beat speed up till it was threatening to burst right out of hr chest. Her palms were sticky with sweat and she considered shouting for help. She felt though as if this would be seen as a sign of weakness.

"Let her go," ordered a very angry voice which made Fleur feel immediately safe. "Give me that wand." Bill towered over the men who were all sitting, and would probably have been much smaller even if they were stood up.

"We was just having a little fun. Wasn't we gorgeous." Slurred the man who seemed to be the leader of the group. Fleur shivered violently. Bill reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. He made quite an impressive figure, his fury was evident and his ponytail, earring and defined muscles made him seem like a force that shouldn't be threatened. The man reluctantly removed his arm and allowed Fleur to pass. She walked quickly to Bill's side. He snatched her wand and put his arm around her slender shoulders. She felt safe and the warmth of his arm relaxed her. Bill steered her towards the exit at apace that she was almost running to keep up with. He stopped at a table and spoke hurriedly to a girl with bright bubblegum pink hair. Fleur didn't hear anything that he said to her, she was content just to lean into his side. When they were outside Bill immediately dropped his arm, Fleur missed its warmth but also felt embarrassed that he had yet again been the one to rescue her. It seemed that every time she got herself into a stupid situation he was there to save her. A bit like a knight in shining armor, Fleur mused, she didn't however like the idea of being the sappy damsel in distress. Bill handed her his jacket, noticing that she must have been cold. It was dragon hide and shimmered in the moonlight. Fleur smiled; the jacket was much too big for her yet felt extremely comfortable. The jacket was however no substitute for Bill's strong, reassuring arms but Fleur contented herself with the dragon hide biker jacket which smelt of him.

"Why didn't you shout? Those guys were stupid but they wouldn't have wanted to create scene." Bill asked her in a gentle voice which still carried a hint of his earlier anger. They had started walking down the deserted Diagon Alley, passing closed shop fronts. Fleur thought with a pang that it could have been romantic, a stroll under the stars with Bill, had the circumstances only been different.

"I'm not sure." Fleur whispered. "I don't know. I was scared." Bill immediately looked down at her. If Fleur had not known better she would have described the look as tender but instead she knew that he must be feeling pity. Fleur didn't like pity and seeing Bill look at her that way, just a silly little girl who couldn't look after herself, made her angry.

"I'm perfectly capable of finding my own way back now thank you." She snapped. The shocked look that passed over Bills face was shock.

"Fleur don't do this, I don't think you're weak. The world is just a difficult place for a beautiful woman like you, no matter how strong you are." His voice was soft and understanding when he spoke to her. When his eyes met hers she found herself unable to look away.

"Just promise you'll be careful and not go out to clubs like that on your own." Fleur nodded and the two of them made their way along the quiet, deserted alley in companionable silence. The walk to the Leaky Cauldron seemed much shorter to Fleur. They parted ways amicably and Fleur made her way upstairs to her room, she still hadn't found a house that she liked. She was finding it harder to hate Bill but had definitely not forgiven him for breaking her heart.

It was only when she was standing at her window and watched Bill dissapparate, that she realized that she was still wearing his jacket.

A/N. I'm not sure I liked this chapter so much. Thanks for reading, please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else you recognize in this story.

I need to apologize for the very slow update. I have no real excuse I'm just lazy and I've had quite a bit on my mind. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please don't hate me.

Chapter 7 

The moon gave the muggle street below Fleur's window an eerie glow. Bill walked along the deserted pavement with a sure, unhurried stride. From her seat on the large window sill Fleur could see his figure slowly getting further away until he reached the junction, twisted on the spot and vanished. There was no sign that he had ever been there so Fleur made her way to the small bathroom adjacent to her room. It was only on closer inspection of her rather dishevelled appearance, in the surprisingly silent mirror, that she realised she was still wearing Bill's dragon hide jacket. She hadn't noticed before but refused to accept that it was because wearing his jacket seemed natural.

"Not you're usual style." Commented the mirror, obviously it was unable to remain silent for long. "Suits you though." Luckily Fleur was far too preoccupied in her own thoughts and didn't hex the poor mirror for speaking out of turn. She didn't shoot it one of her signature death glares, so preoccupied was she with thoughts of a certain red headed man.

She was sure she was over her silly school girl crush, after all that's all it was. She would find Bill tomorrow and return his jacket, and then she would let him know, very politely of course, that he couldn't keep coming to her rescue. It would be easy and would save her a lot of bother; of course there was the problem that the very idea made her sad. That was all normal, she told herself, you're tired and you've had a bit of a shock. She shivered involuntarily at the memory of the evening. She knew that she'd never be able to sleep now that she had begun to dwell on those memories. The way the man's polluted breath had lingered on her neck, the sound of his malice filled voice and the helplessness she had felt. It was all too much to bear so Fleur drew Bill's jacket tighter around her waist and made her way down the stairs to the almost deserted bar. She didn't particularly want to talk to anyone but she felt it would be better to sit in the warm pub than alone in her small dark room. She really needed to find a house that she could call home.

When she reached the bar there were very few people around. The old bartender Tom was cleaning glasses, a group of witches sat gossiping in the corner and a lone witch with bright bubble gum pink hair was sitting on her own drinking from a steaming flagon. There was even what appeared to be a troll sitting at one of the round tables but Fleur averted her eyes long before she could be sure.

"A butterbeer please." Fleur asked the tired looking bartender. Once she had her drink she sat on one of the tall bar stools and sighed. This certainly wasn't the life she had planned for herself since she was a young girl. That life consisted of a pretty cottage in Normandy and a job at the French ministry for magic.

"Looks like you need something stronger." Commented the woman with the pink hair good naturedly. "Long night?"

"You could say that." Fleur knew that the old her would definitely not be talking to strangers in a pub at one o'clock in the morning but a lot had changed in the past few weeks. "I prefer not to drink though."

"That's a pretty sensible thing to say considering the time and the fact you're in a bar. Girl like you should surely be at home and asleep right now." The woman said, watching Fleur critically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fleur was really confused and her accent seemed to be stronger now that she was tired. She yawned and almost knocked her drink off the bar when she turned to face the woman causing her to sigh heavily once again.

"You just look like a sensible person that's all and sensible people don't sit at the bar at one o'clock." Suddenly she narrowed her eyes at Fleur. "You were with Bill earlier this evening, did he ask you to pretend to be a friend of his so that he could leave by any chance. I know how much he hates it when we go to clubs lately. Oh and I'm Tonks by the way."

"I'm Fleur and no I suppose you could say Bill was helping me out." When Fleur thought back she did remember that Bill had been with friends and she felt bad for taking him away from his evening. She was about to explain that she really hadn't asked for Bill's help when Tonks spoke.

"He's a great guy isn't he, really sweet; always ready to help out a friend." Fleur's eyes narrowed, who was this woman who knew Bill. He'd never mentioned her; perhaps she was an ex-girlfriend or worse perhaps not ex at all. She certainly wouldn't put it past him to have had a girlfriend all along. Fleur realised that Tonks was expecting an answer and was now giving her a strange look.

"I suppose you could say he's charming when he wants to be. How do you know Bill, are you a good friend of his?" The latter part had slipped out before Fleur could help herself and she certainly meant it to appear so accusing. Tonks on the other hand simply shook her head and looked amused.

"I'm not his girlfriend if that's what you mean! We've been friends for a long time and we work together sometimes." She said smiling as if the idea of them having had any romantic attachment was absolutely ridiculous. "How do you know Bill, he's never mentioned you before." Fleur laughed bitterly, even more proof that she had meant nothing to him, he hadn't even told his good friends about her. Fleur knew that she was being ridiculous and she was reading too much into this but she didn't care.

"We met briefly at Hogwarts over the summer, we aren't particularly close. I barely know him." She decided not to go into any more detail and left her answer vague and dismissive. "Why are you in a pub so late anyway?" It would probably be safer to turn the conversation away from her relationship with Bill Weasley, she wasn't sure that Tonks wouldn't be reporting back to Bill next time she saw him.

"Ah… drowning my sorrows like everyone else I suppose. Men." Tonks smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well there's a man I know but he won't even look at me." Fleur nodded, pretending to understand Tonks' problem, but to be truthful she had never been in a situation where a man hadn't noticed her. Everywhere she went men watched her passing. Except Bill of course amended Fleur, he hadn't gawped at you, or if he had he'd hidden it very well.

"I'm sure he'll come around soon. How long have you known him?" Fleur asked.

"A month or two, I'm sure he knows I like him. He thinks it would be too dangerous." Tonks explained, this time Fleur didn't have to pretend to understand and her answer was genuine for the first time.

"I've heard that one before, it's a pathetic excuse and since when do men have the right to make that decision for you." Fleur thought of Bill and the way he had almost managed to look hurt and anguished when he'd broken up with her so suddenly. "I knew this guy who said it would be for the best if he broke up with me, I'm not sure how he worked out that one but I suppose I'm better off without a man."

"Don't lose hope." Tonks said, all humour gone from her voice. "Love wins through in the end, it always does and it's all we've got left in these dangerous times."

"Why does everyone keep referring to "Dangerous times"? I don't understand." Fleur asked frustrated, did Tonks and Bill know something she didn't? Tonks looked around wearily to make sure no one was listening to their conversation then she leant forward and spoke in a low voice.

"I'll tell you this because you should know and because people will try to make you believe it's a lie." Tonks went on to recount the story of You-Know-Who's return to power at the end of the tri-wizard tournament. Living in France Fleur hadn't grown up with the same fear of the dark wizard who had terrorised Britain until one and a half decades ago. Even so she knew the story of Harry Potter, everyone did, and was surprised she hadn't heard more about this new twist in the story.

"Why don't I know more about this, I mean I've heard rumours but surely there should be more fuss? I rarely read the paper but if he's really back I'm sure I'd know." Fleur asked, voicing her confusion. Tonks rolled her eyes and looked slightly bitter.

"The ministry are refusing to accept that he's really back. They control the daily prophet and they're discrediting Dumbledore and Harry Potter. They're making them out to be mad; of course people aren't going to believe us now." Fleur could see that this was an issue which really angered Tonks.

"Harry Potter isn't mad, he saved my sisters life and I know he isn't a liar." Harry Potter had saved Gabrielle when he needn't have; there was no way she would forget that. Tonks looked impressed and also happy that Fleur believed her without asking any more questions.

"Exactly, but unfortunately not many other people seem to feel the same way. It's ridiculous. One minute he's the boy who lived, now he's a lying, attention seeking maniac. People will believe anything so long as it means they don't have to face reality." Tonks was getting angrier and angrier; suddenly her hair flashed bright red. Fleur shook her head startled, surely she hadn't drunk that much, but she couldn't see anyone around who was jinxing Tonks' hair.

"You're hair." She spluttered, completely shocked. Tonks stopped her rant and laughed uncontrollably at the obvious confusion on Fleur's face.

"I'm a metamorphmagus." When Fleur didn't look enlightened though Tonks explained that she could change her appearance at will. Fleur nodded in comprehension.

"We do not call it that in French, my English still isn't perfect." Fleur explained. Tonks glanced down at her watch and started.

"Wow it's later than I thought, I'd best get home." Tonks grabbed her bag off the floor and stood up. "It was lovely to meet you Fleur."

"Yes, it was nice." Fleur agreed, surprised that she genuinely had enjoyed their conversation. "Oh and your friend he'll come around don't dwell on that." Tonks smiled gratefully and then smiled wickedly.

"Oh and Bill will come round too." With that final remark she swept out of the pub. Fleur watched her leave shocked. How did she guess that it was Bill she had been talking about? Then suddenly realisation dawned and she banged her head on the bar, Tonks would recognise Bill's Jacket. Why hadn't she thought of that before wandering down with his jacket on?

"Can I help you miss?" Asked Tom, he didn't look at all alarmed to see a girl repeatedly banging her head against the bar. He obviously saw this kind of mad behaviour often, which only made Fleur feel slightly better. Tonks would think that she liked Bill, but that really wasn't the reason she was still wearing his jacket.

"No I think I'll be fine, if she doesn't tell him of course." Tom just looked confused at her answer and suggested se go back to her room and get some sleep.

A/N: Please, please review it means a lot to me to know that people appreciate what I write. Again I'm very sorry it took me a while to update. Next chapter should have more Bill and Fleur in it. If anyone has any ideas they would like to see in future chapters let me know, I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for reading.


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